Expert: James Michael Anderson - 7/20/2009

Question
I bought a small collection of Beatles albums 5 years ago. All are very mint, but one is [2653] Sgt Peppers [unopened] in stereo. I have seen high prices for the mono, but what would a stereo copy of Sgt Peppers be worth? Mine is mint and the shrink wrap is perfect and all the album's corners sharp & album obviously never in sunlight as colors are vibrant. Is this an ignorant question as there are probably a number of later pressings? Seems all the albums were from a short period of time, Rubber Soull Revolver and a few earlier ones. Also, I have a GET BACK bootleg album by Lemon Records. Thanks, Lance

Answer
It's of course a bit of a ball park estimate providing any type of price quote sight unseen.  However, I believe your record would get anywhere from $35-$85 on the open market.  Mono Sgt. Pepper albums are generally more sought after because there were fewer of them, the mixes of the songs are different and The Beatles actually oversaw the mixing of the mono and not the stereo.  At the time, stereo was a novelty not really used for "pop/rock" records.  Most of your value is in it's condition and in shrink wrap, so if you are looking to sell it, you would want to emphasize that characteristic of your item.
A question I get often is that of the value of bootleg records.  Unfortunately, there is no tangible value to them as they are unauthorized and uncontrolled releases.  So generally, they are worth what you can get someone else to pay for them.  That said, I have seen bootleg records at Beatlefest bins for upwards of $100, but I have never seen any actually sold for that amount.  In general, $10-$25 is a much more reasonable asking price for a bootleg.
Hope that helps!